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Deciding to take up jogging, the man was astounded by the wide selection of jogging shoes available at the local sports shoe store.

While trying on a basic pair of jogging shoes, he noticed a minor feature and asked the clerk: “What is this little pocket thing on the shoe?”

And the clerk replied, “Oh, that’s to carry spare change so you can call your wife to come pick you up when you’ve jogged too far.” *

LOL!

I (Dawn) read about two runners who both needed a good dose of character.

“Marathoner Loses by a Mustache.” So read the headline of an Associated Press story. It appeared that Abbes Tehami of Algeria was an easy winner of the Brussels Marathon, until someone wondered where his mustache had gone!

Checking eyewitness accounts, it quickly became evident that the mustache belonged to Tehami’s coach, Bensalem Hamiani. Hamiani had run the first seven-and-a-half miles of the race for Tehami, and then dropped out of the pack. He disappeared into the woods to pass race number 62 on to his pupil.

“They looked about the same,” race organizers said. “Only one had a mustache.”

The article said it was expected that the two would never again be allowed to run in Belgium. *

Ya think?

I never was a runner. First, I run like a girlie girl. My sister did not inherit this girlie girl gene, and she could really fly when she ran. But I even look clumsy jogging. OK, I’ll be honest. I look like a duck when I walk.

But I admire people who run. I will cheer them on and watch them win medals. I know how much hard work it takes to prepare for a race.

I have gone to out to breakfast with my friend Jill and her husband after she’s completed a good run. When she meets us at the restaurant (not even panting), her face glows. Her body is svelte. She pays the price, and it’s worth the results.

The Bible uses the metaphor of running in Hebrews 12:1-3. Paul exhorts believers, “…run with patience the race that is set before us…..” Paul tells us to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, so we won’t be “wearied” ~ so we won’t get discouraged and “faint” in our minds.

The key to our own race is to consider “Him that endured.” Jesus endured in His own life “race,” and as we focus on Him, we understand how we can be persistent and press on in ours.

Paul also used the running metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Like this:

A farmer sent his accounting Border Collie, Seepeeay, off to gather in his eight sheep while he tended to other chores.

On returning to the sheep pen, the farmer was astonished to find he now had 10 sheep in his pen instead of eight.

He asked Seepeeay to explain.

“Well, Woof!,” he barked. “You asked me to round them up!”

And then there’s the story of Barry, an accountant who was having trouble sleeping at night, so he went to a doctor.

“Have you tried counting sheep?” the doctor asked.

“That’s the problem, Doctor,” Barry said. “I make a mistake, and then have to spend the next six hours trying to find it!”

Have you guessed? It’s almost “Tax Day!”

My (Dawn’s) husband and I visited our friendly accountant-financial adviser. We took all of our paperwork, and everything was going so well until Dave asked Bob, “Um, what’s this?” And he showed my husband our written figure for the year’s Cox Cable bill. It was $10,000 off!

My poor husband. He was, incidentally, suffering from jet lag; but he was so embarrassed by such a silly error.

Now, Dave is a benevolent friend, so he gracefully smiled and corrected the figure. And then I had the thought…

“I’m so glad that when I stand to give account for my life before God, He will look at me through the eyes of grace, because of what Jesus did on my behalf.”

All of the sins in my “account ledger” will never be held against me. (Colossians 2:14-15; Romans 8:1). Yes, I will be judged for my works (2 Corinthians 5:10), and rewarded for how I brought glory to God, brought souls to Christ, and handled the things entrusted to me ~ but the “errors” in the account are already cared for. Hallelujah!

As I’ve been noting some recent meetings in a church in Little Rock that have broken out into a movement of God, I’ve reviewed some of the “principles of revival” that I learned back in the 1970s while with a revival ministry. One of the principles that revolutionized my thinking was simple ~ I am a steward of the Most High God.

I heard that a man invented a left-handed hammer, but it didn’t sell because there are no left-handed nails. I recently saw a “butter stick,” but wondered, what’s wrong with a knife?

Aren’t you glad these inventions didn’t succeed?

The waterproof towel

Submarine screen doors

A book on how to read

Inflatable dart boards

A dictionary index

Powdered water

Waterproof tea bags

Helicopter ejector seat *

On the other hand, I’m really glad some inventions did succeed. Where would be be without the light bulb … or microwave popcorn?

Most people say Thomas Alva Edison had 1093 patents ~ though one source says he was awarded 1,368 separate, distinct patents during his lifetime. ** Edison invented or improved the telegraph, phonograph, electric motor, light bulb, movie camera, X-ray, and so much more. The story goes that Edison failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb. Edison allegedly said, “I have not failed 1000 times. I have successfully discovered 1000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” ***

What persistence! Edison didn’t lose heart as he pushed forward ~ in spite of “failures” ~ toward his goal.

In the book of Hebrews it says, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (12:4, ESV). That’s some resistance! The context of verses 1-4 are that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and so we need to endure and be persistent in the “race that is set before us.” And we have a worthy example, don’t we? Jesus endured the cross to gain the victory for us. Likewise, we’re not to get weary or fainthearted in our struggle against sin.

Some scholars say the reference to blood in the Hebrews passage may refer to the ancient, bloody “agonistic games,” which were Continue reading →